No 'militants' produced at court a day after convicts' escape

No inmate charged with terrorism was produced today at a Dhaka court, a day after two death-row convicts escaped from its premises, exposing security loopholes.

Twenty-one inmates were brought to the court premises from Kashimpur Central Jail but they were kept inside the prison cell of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court of Dhaka.

They were not produced before the Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal for various reasons, Special Public Prosecutor (In-Charge) Golam SharuarKhan told The Daily Star.

Fourteen accused were not produced before the tribunal because the witnesses of the cases did not appear before it for deposition, he said.

Three accused were not produced before the tribunal because the defence of the case concerned filed petitions seeking some witnesses be recalled, said Khan.

The four accused were not produced before court because there was a fifth accused in the case, who was yet to be brought to court from Kashimpur jail.

Meanwhile, the lawyers and relatives of the accused waited in front of the tribunal to meet them -- days when inmates are brought to court are the only occasions when the families can meet them outside of prison.

A total of 16 cases were scheduled for hearings today,and the court wrapped up by noon after hearing eight.The court usually operates from 9:30am-4:30pm.

There was no police deployed in front of the Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal -- located on the seventh floor of the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court of Dhaka -- yesterday, when the convicts escaped. Today, however, seven police personnel were seen standing guard at the tribunal since 8:00am in the morning.